What Evidence of a Bonafide Marriage did you provide for a CR1 application?

[JFH 12,189]

9 hours ago, jennywhite421 said:

I'm not keen on having a child in the UK (someone says this is proof!), would rather have moved and settled be in the USA before getting pregnant. 

Ignore anyone who says this is "proof". It's only proof that your ovaries work. It doesn't even prove the child is your husband's. If this was "proof" of a bona fide marriage then couples who believe the world is already over-populated/couples who cannot have children/couples who are beyond the age of child-bearing would be in trouble!

 

Remember that they are asking for evidence, not proof. Huge difference! 

 

You have had some good answers here but the thing to focus on most of all is time spent together. A few boarding passes and passport stamps are worth more than a hundred statements. 

[*Snowdrop* 603]

We had 2 or 3 short statements - 2 friends and my mother-in-law, plus a few pictures of our wedding in the UK, our marriage certificate, a couple of financial documents showing each other as beneficiary of pensions etc. 

 

Later for the Removal of Conditions application we gathered a lot more financial evidence etc. 

 

Unless you have a particularly unusual case or other issues in your relationship which may cause red flags you don't need to massively frontload the file for the UK Embassy,

[Nitas_man 3,100]

11 hours ago, jennywhite421 said:

I'm getting together our affidavits but how many is recommended? I have asked about 15 people plus my husband will ask more, I have only 3 back at the moment but only asked a few days ago!

Answer:  None

[NikLR 13,220]

We sent two affidavits but really anyone can say anything, they're very weak evidence wise.  Also you're from a low fraud country so there isn't much to be had other than regular communication. 

[bakphx1 785]

We sent 3 affidavits. 

 

Travel documents, he is an authorized credit card signor, pictures.  At the interview, pictures seemed to be the main thing.  Showing a span of time ideally. 

[hm139 55]

Apart from the marriage certificate itself, I included photos, a power of attorney he has for me, documents indicating we lived together (I included the lease, which was in his name only, and the power of attorney had my address on it which was the same as the lease), flight confirmations, and my dad's obituary that was published in the newspaper (because it listed us as a married couple).

[Nitas_man 3,100]

16 hours ago, jennywhite421 said:

What Evidence of a Bonafide Marriage did you provide for a CR1 application?

A copy of a marriage certificate and certified translation

 

Nothing else

[Lee & Lei 42]

We provided:

 

--Joint checking account statement

 

--Apartment lease showing both of our names (we both live together abroad)

 

--Flight itineraries from several trips we have taken together

 

--Receipts for resorts we stayed at, which showed both our names

 

--Wedding and engagement ring receipts

 

--Pictures from our wedding and honeymoon

 

--Notarized affidavits from two people who attended our wedding, as well as a notarized affidavit from myself detailing our love story

 

 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

15 hours ago, R&OC said:

We added the following documents to our package:

 

1. Financial co-mingling (we didn't have that much as we had just married a few weeks before and we both own property -hence no tenants or rental agreements):

1. Shared bank account - Name of the bank
2. Credit Card Account : Authorized user
3. Utility bill in our name

2. Relationship:

1. Selected messages Facebook and emails while deployed
2. Timeline of our trips with selected pictures (see point 3.) and boarding passes (point 4.) 
3. Pictures of us from each trip we had (some of us alone, some with kids, some with other family members)
4. Boarding passes, itineraries, copies of passport pages to support above visual evidence
5. Wedding pictures and engagement pictures
6. Well-wishes from our family (cards and messages) regarding our engagement and wedding
7. Two affidavits regarding our relationship from family members

 

If you have evidence regarding the financial co-mingling, then focus on that. Based on the feedback of the VJ community, this seems to be the focus.

 

Hope this helps.

Not in international marriages across international boundaries is isn't. 

 

It is next to impossible to co-mingle assets until the spouse gets a SS number. 

 

The focus is on whether or not you are legally married and were legally eligible to be married after which the co-mingling is scrutinized at the ROC stage.

 

 

 

[Lee & Lei 42]

1 minute ago, Nitas_man said:

Not in international marriages across international boundaries is isn't. 

 

It is next to impossible to co-mingle assets until the spouse gets a SS number. 

 

The focus is on whether or not you are legally married and were legally eligible to be married after which the co-mingling is scrutinized at the ROC stage.

 

 

 

Some banks will allow it, but generally you are correct. If you have the ability to co-mingle assets, then certainly it is solid proof of a bona fide relationship. 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

1 hour ago, Lee & Lei said:

Some banks will allow it, but generally you are correct. If you have the ability to co-mingle assets, then certainly it is solid proof of a bona fide relationship. 

Very true.

 

I have not seen this as a significant issue if separated couples do not mingle assets between marriage and initial filing and it certainly was not an issue with our case.  Where those questions become BIG are in marriage ----->AOS cases where the petition standards seem to have a much higher bar.

 

The advice has always been to attach exactly what they ask you to attach and throw in a couple photos of the wedding.  Nothing like a smiling bride and groom surrounded by friends and family to drive the point home that yeah we did actually spend some critical time together and look how much fun we had.

 

For the interview:  It's my view that time spent getting your spouse added to employer health insurance (public charge and a ++ bonus proof of marriage) after you come up for air post honeymoon is time well spent, even if you have to pick a fight with HR.  Did that back at the first interview and they were quite happy to see that yeah we had a little money, a good income, and all enrolled in health insurance. 

 

Even adding him/her as beneficiary to other benefits requires SS number so while that's also a good proof of marriage after you're well established you're pretty much hands tied until your spouse arrives and gets a chance to settle in.

 

 

[Keith & Arileidi 437]

19 hours ago, jennywhite421 said:

I'm getting together our affidavits but how many is recommended? I have asked about 15 people plus my husband will ask more, I have only 3 back at the moment but only asked a few days ago!

Best evidence is time spent together. 

So I would focus on pictures , travel tickets , and your passport stamps, then include whatever else you think you need to prove your case. 

 

They only expect you to have joint finances if you are already living together. 

Edited December 8, 2017 by Keith & Arileidi

[Lee & Lei 42]

1 hour ago, Nitas_man said:

Very true.

 

I have not seen this as a significant issue if separated couples do not mingle assets between marriage and initial filing and it certainly was not an issue with our case.  Where those questions become BIG are in marriage ----->AOS cases where the petition standards seem to have a much higher bar.

 

The advice has always been to attach exactly what they ask you to attach and throw in a couple photos of the wedding.  Nothing like a smiling bride and groom surrounded by friends and family to drive the point home that yeah we did actually spend some critical time together and look how much fun we had.

 

For the interview:  It's my view that time spent getting your spouse added to employer health insurance (public charge and a ++ bonus proof of marriage) after you come up for air post honeymoon is time well spent, even if you have to pick a fight with HR.  Did that back at the first interview and they were quite happy to see that yeah we had a little money, a good income, and all enrolled in health insurance. 

 

Even adding him/her as beneficiary to other benefits requires SS number so while that's also a good proof of marriage after you're well established you're pretty much hands tied until your spouse arrives and gets a chance to settle in.

 

 

RE: Health Insurance

 

Thanks for reminding me of that, actually. My wife's interview is in a couple days, and the packet of "insurance benefits" is something useful I should add to her "proof of relationship" portfolio for the interview. 

 

FWIW, I didn't have my wife on my health insurance when I submitted my I-130 packet because she had her own from her employer and it would have been a waste of money. However, I do have her on mine now (beginning Jan 1, 2018) since I will (hopefully) be bringing her to the US in a couple of months. 

[__immigrant__ 58]

We had none

[JFH 12,189]

7 hours ago, bakphx1@aol.com said:

We sent 3 affidavits. 

 

Travel documents, he is an authorized credit card signor, pictures.  At the interview, pictures seemed to be the main thing.  Showing a span of time ideally. 

I don't think anyone in London has ever been asked to show any photos, or anything else during the interview. London is a much easier embassy than most.